Cimicifuga cordifolia auct. non (DC.) Torr. & A. Gray
Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt. var. cordifolia auct. non (DC.) A. Gray
Cimicifuga rubifolia Kearney
Actaea rubifolia (Kearney) Kartesz
Appalachian bugbane
The “bugbane” in Appalachian bugbane refers to its unpleasant-smelling flowers’ ability to repel insects. This is a North American native, and an endangered species. There are small populations in Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, and the lower Ohio River Valley.
Plants: 12–55″ (30–140 cm) tall.
Leaves: Toothed, and shaped like maple leaves. Leaflets are 6–12″ (15–30 cm) long.
Flowers: White flowers form attractive, feathery-looking spikes 6–24″ (15–60 cm) long, straight or slightly curved. Individual flowers have 5 sepals and are about ⅜″ (9.5 mm) in diameter. Flowers appear from May to Octoberr.
Fruits: ⅛″ (3 mm) around, and reddish brown.
Habitats: Wooded, rocky, temperate forests. A rare species.
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Similar plants. |
Edibility: Poisonous 
I couldn’t find specific information for
this species, but other members of this family are very poisonous.
Online References:
Actaea cordifolia auct. non DC.
Cimicifuga cordifolia auct. non (DC.) Torr. & A. Gray
Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt. var. cordifolia auct. non (DC.) A. Gray
Cimicifuga rubifolia Kearney
Cimicifuga cordifolia auct. non (DC.) Torr. & A. Gray
Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt. var. cordifolia auct. non (DC.) A. Gray
Cimicifuga rubifolia Kearney
9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (16 × 24 cm) 
9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm) 
9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 10″ (18 × 25 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | Includes magnolias, nutmeg, bay laurel, cinnamon, avocado, black pepper, and many others |
| Order | Ranunculales | Basal (evolved earlier) eudicots, also called “true dicots” |
| Family | Ranunculaceae | Buttercup family |
| Genus | Actaea | From ancient Greek, signifying a wet habitat and its leaves’ similarity to Sambucus leaves |
| Species | rubifolia | Foliage like Rubus (e.g. blackberries, raspberries) |
Actaea rubifolia description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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